


Scotland Welcomes You Home

by Writeonthrough (Schroederplayspiano)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Candles, Cuddles, F/M, Life after Shield, Perthshire Cottage, Sunsets, Wedding Planning, a new home
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-03
Packaged: 2018-07-11 21:58:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7072093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schroederplayspiano/pseuds/Writeonthrough
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adjusting to a new life in Scotland and planning a wedding can be hectic for anyone. For Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons it means they have barely had an evening alone since leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. Thankfully, Fitz has surprise that will make their first night in their cottage one to remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scotland Welcomes You Home

“Okay. Watch it—” Fitz lead Jemma’s through the hallway and gave her hand a squeeze. “Watch your left foot. There’s a bunch of boxes over there.”

“I thought the whole point of you guiding me through our Scottish home blindfolded was so I wouldn’t have to worry about tripping over boxes.” Still unable to see anything, Jemma focused on her voice’s echo through the empty rooms of their new cottage.

The last time she’d been in the cottage, furniture from the open house still brighten each room. Now, each footstep reverberated through the rooms and each word bounced off the walls. Jemma could tell how empty it was—large brown moving boxes aside.

“Ten more feet.”

“Ugh, Fitz—isn’t this charade a little unnecessary?”

“Ha!” Fitz squeezed her hand again. “You’ll be biting your tongue in a minute.”

“Really, Fitz. Don’t you think I’ve had enough surprises for this month—with all the last minute wedding planning I’ve had to do and both our mothers—”

“This is an un-stressful surprise.”

“Hmm…I hope so.” Jemma dropped her shoulders as Fitz led her into the airy living room. At least she thought they were in the living room. Based on how many turns they took and the lighter evening glow through her blindfold, she could estimate where they were based on the floor plan she’d committed to memory—fantasying about living in their dream home. “I don’t remember the last time we experienced an un-stressful surprise.”

“Wedding planning hasn’t been that bad, has it?”

Peace drifted over Jemma’s face. She felt her lips upturn in a smile. “No,” she admitted softly. “Not bad. Just…stressful…and busy. I’m actually excited everything coming together.” She reached for him blindfolded. Their pull towards each other made it easy for Jemma to find his chest. She could feel his heart beat through his shirt. “With all of the wedding planning and our new jobs and adjusting to Scotland after being in S.H.I.E.L.D. for so long—We haven’t had a quiet evening together in—I don’t know how long.”

Fitz smiled to himself, looking around the room at his surprise for his fiancée. “Believe me,” he reached back around Jemma’s head to untie the knot keeping the blindfold over her eyes. “I know.”

Blinking, Jemma caught the falling blindfold as she adjusted to her surroundings. Candles were everywhere. On the mantle of the fireplace, on the empty bookshelves, on the window sills, lining the edges on the floor…

“Oh, Fitz…” were the only words Jemma could find.

“Welcome home, Jemma.” Fitz leaned into her as he spoke, placing on hand on the small of her back and the other on her cheek. She turned into him and for a moment and the couple shared smiles of joy before closing the gap between them. Soft and sweet, their kiss warmed the room in a way the candles never could.

“It’s perfect, Fitz,” she whispered when they parted.

Jemma turned to face the room and Fitz wrapped his arms around her torso, resting his chin on her shoulder. He drew her hair back to place a kiss on her neck and whispered, “I wanted it to be perfect.”

“And—Oh!” Jemma squirmed with excitement in his arms, spotting the real surprise in the center of the floor. There, on top of a blue checkered blanket was a picnic basket which Jemma already knew was filled with a delicious dinner awaiting her. “I can’t believe you remembered.”

Fitz’s furrowed his eyebrows before smiling. “That your parents spent their first night in their house with nothing in it but a couple blankets and a picnic basket? Of course I remembered that, Jemma. It’s one of your favorite stories you tell about your parents.”

Jemma swallowed and her eyes grew to saucers. His words accompanied with her surroundings seemed to make time stand still. Everything in the room, froze—except for the flickering candlelight, which counted each second that passed.

“Jemma?” Fitz moved around her in hope of clues to her thoughts in her expression.

“I can’t believe you remember that story.” She whispered again, this time almost to herself. “I haven’t thought about that story in so long.”

“Well,” Fitz reached up to stroke her face. “That’s what I’m here for.” His hand then drifted down her shoulder and arm to interlace their fingers so he could lead her to the blue checkered blanket on the hardwood floor. “Happy to help.”

Jemma let out a small scoff as she followed him down. “Really? Would you like to help with the rest of the wedding planning then? It’s only the small things left.”

Amused at Jemma’s offer (he had, after all, been very involved with the planning—the items left to do were things he wouldn’t have a strong opinion on; program fonts, appetizers, music for the reception, whether or not Jemma’s brother did a reading during the ceremony—Fitz was more than happy to leave those decisions to their mothers. Since they were alone and Jemma’s gaze pleaded for his help, Fitz caved into her easily), “Okay.” He rubbed his hands together, preparing for Jemma’s questions. “Lay it on me.”

The empty cottage soon filled with laughter. Jemma couldn’t remember what was so funny, but she felt deliriously happy. Fitz made decisions that Jemma and their mothers were agonizing over for days seem simple. Of course the font should be a simple cursive, anything else is not formal enough or takes effort to read. One appetizer is more than enough—there would be plenty of food. Fitz reminded her they had lots of options for music—he could easily direct Daisy to switch the speaker input to various different playlists so the guests would hear something they loved. And John should do a reading only if he wanted to; Jemma loved the idea of letting her shy brother make the decision for himself.

“You know what I’m holding onto?”

“Hmm.” Fitz snuck his arm around her waist and guided her to lean against his chest. They had finished their picnic dinner and now were enjoying the candles’ glow in the darkness. For the first time, the couple realize how much nature surrounded their new home. More than a few deer had walked by the windows during the course of the evening. Crickets made a symphony of sounds and they wondered if a concert would welcome them home every night. As the sun set in the distance, it painted the sky colors Jemma swore she’d never seen before, highlighting the golds and greens of the Scottish hillside. “You’re holding onto those outdoor fairy lights—the ones I promised you would softly light up our reception.”

Jemma’s gape and her _‘how did you know’_ faded as soon as her mind recognized the feeling. Of course Fitz knew what was making their wedding planning easier. He voiced her silent dream for their reception before they had started their wedding planning.

“Dancing under the fairy lights with you while the warm summer breeze dances through the Scottish hills. Our first dance and our last night surrounded by family and friends before we’re off to the Seychelles for three weeks—just the two of us.”

“Away we go.” Fitz repeated a phrase he liked to use whenever the had chance to vacation together. Vacations were still a rare treat for them—in their entire relationship, they’d gone on two together.

“Hmm-mm. But for now,” Jemma let out a pleasant sigh before leaning back against Fitz’s chest. “Let’s just watch the sunset.”

The vibrate colors slowly faded from the hillside. As they watched the stars come out to twinkle, they blissfully remembered how lucky they were to end one chapter of their relationship and start the next one while the Scottish stars welcomed them home.

**Author's Note:**

> Loved to hear from you in the comments! ♥︎


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